Julián Castro, the former Obama Housing and Urban Development secretary, is making an announcement about his 2020 plans Saturday, after forming a presidential exploratory committee in December. Castro is speaking in San Antonio, his hometown and the city where he served as mayor for five years.
Castro is making the announcement in Plaza Guadalupe, an outdoor venue across from Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Castro, who is Mexican-American, announced his exploratory committee standing in front of a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe; Dec. 12 is the feast day for the saint, a venerated figure in Mexico.
Several people spoke before Castro, including his twin brother, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, who joked that he would grow a beard to differentiate himself from his brother. The speakers each discussed their excitement about Castro launching a presidential campaign. Before he spoke, Castro tweeted #Julian2020.

#Julian2020
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 12, 2019

“People are ready to get on a better track with leadership that’s focused on creating opportunity for everybody and trying to bring the country together, rather than tear us apart,” he told CBS News when he formed the exploratory committee in December. “I’ve had a chance over the last several years to get a sense of what people are looking for. I’ve visited more than 100 communities across the United States and I believe they’re ready for new leadership.”
Castro has spent the last two years as a guest lecturer at the University of Texas and other universities and recently published a memoir that was seen as his treatise for a potential campaign. He had passed on a 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate or governor in Texas, a sign he remained focused on eventually launching a presidential campaign.
In a field of candidates that could include dozens of current and former lawmakers, governors and mayors, Castro told CBS News in December he will cite his “track record of getting things done at the local and the federal level.”
“There are going to be a lot of talented people running and I look forward to making my case to the voters,” he added.
Castro’s twin brother, Joaquin, is poised to be a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee next year and to hold a senior position in his brother’s campaign, likely in a fundraising role, given that both brothers have been popular draws on the county and state party fundraising circuit for several years.